Lenire Sanctum
by Jackaayy
Summary: In the world of Eos, Lenire, a burgundy-haired high schooler, has lived a life with only one friend by her side. That is, until her first day as a senior at Crown City High School. This fateful friendship, unbeknownst to her, has already begun to twist Lenire's destiny—just two and a half years before Insomnia's Fall. Intertwines with sister-fanfic "Avaleigh Sanctum."


**Chapter 1: Dawn**

 _August 31, 754 M.E._

"Are you excited for your classes?" a bright, green eyed girl asked from atop Lenire's bed. Avaleigh's unruly, toasty gold hair was made into a side braid, the end draping over her shoulder. Her hands played with the curls that were tied off from the plait as she leaned forward.

Lenire snapped her binder rings closed, having just secured fresh lined paper in it. She looked up from her spot on the beige-carpeted floor and gave her friend a slight smile. "Yes. But, I feel nervous I guess. The usual first-day-of-school anxiety," she shrugged. Grabbing a black leather school bag, she inserted the binder and folded the cover over the top to secure the case's belongings.

Her friend smiled and rested her chin on her hand. Jokingly, she muttered, "Yeah, that's what you get for ditching me." She wrinkled her nose at Lenire.

"Seriously?" Lenire scoffed. "I already told you that my mom insisted that I be moved up a grade."

Giggling, Avaleigh sat up straight for a stretch. "Yeah, yeah. Just promise you'll still hang out with me during our breaks. Maybe then I'll forgive you."

"Yes, okay, I promise," Lenire rolled her eyes, allowing a smirk to show. "You know I'm not entirely great at making friends. It's like I repel everyone I meet."

"Maybe you should smile more often," Avaleigh pointed out. "When we first met, I didn't care that you just stood there glaring at me—we were kids! I don't think that sort of thing flies with high schoolers."

Shrugging, Lenire replied, "Guess I never notice... I always have stuff on my mind." She pushed herself up off the floor as she picked up the scent of a home-cooked meal. "Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner? We always have extra for you, y'know," she offered as Avaleigh swung her legs over the side of the bed to join Lenire.

Straightening out her dust-blue sweater, Avaleigh looked up and smiled, "Yes, I'm sure. I appreciate it though! I just have to make sure my stuff is ready for the morning, too... and that my mom is okay." Lenire looked over her friend for a moment for before nodding and walked out of her room down the short hallway with Avaleigh following close behind.

As they passed the kitchen, an older woman with brilliant burgundy hair leaned over the stove, stirring a large copper pot with a ladle. She suddenly looked up at the two girls when she heard their scuffling feet. "Avaleigh, going home so soon?"

Avaleigh nodded her head in response. "I'll probably join you guys another night for dinner. I need to be sure that I get enough sleep for school."

Lenire's mother smiled and set down the ladle onto a spoon rest next to the stove, then made her way out of the kitchen to wrap Avaleigh a hug. "Be safe walking home and we'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay, will do, Eliana," Avaleigh spoke with a smile. She turned to Lenire after she released her mother. "And I'll see you tomorrow!" she said as she gave Lenire a hug.

After Lenire hugged back, she pulled away and sternly looked at Avaleigh's freckle-dusted face. "You can come over any time you need—I don't care if it's three in the morning. Got it?"

Avaleigh turned away to put on her shoes, nonchalantly brushing off Lenire's offer. "Yeah, I know. You tell me that a lot."

"Gotta make sure it gets through that thick skull of yours," Lenire smirked while opening the front door. "I'll see you before school tomorrow."

"Yeah! See you!" Avaleigh smiled before turning and walking out. Lenire closed the door and locked it. She made her way into the kitchen and peered into the pot Eliana was hovering over. A thick white porridge was simmering, filled nearly to the brim.

"What kind of porridge did you make this time?" Lenire asked, giving her mother a smile. It was one of her favorite meals, being that it was a versatile and satisfying dish that could easily be made for breakfast the next morning.

Eliana picked up the ladle and scooped a heap of the porridge up, showing Lenire the ingredients. A few bones revealed itself in the ladle, to which Eliana pointed out with enthusiasm, "Basilisk! Just what we were craving."

Lenire hummed in delight as she sniffed up the porridge's aroma. She turned to the kitchen island counter and saw a whole white onion and lime, as well as a bundle of scallions and cilantro sitting atop a bamboo cutting board. Grabbing a chef's knife and a companion honing steel, she began to prep the knife by running the blade on both sides of the steel. After a short time, she replaced the steel and ran the knife under water, removing any metal that had come off in the process. Lenire then returned to the cutting board and began to slice the lime into wedges, the cilantro into a messy chopped pile, and the scallions into small ringlets. She paused to glare at the onion before chopping it in half, making quick work to thinly slice one of the halves. Not even halfway through, Lenire's face began to contort itself when her eyes stung from the pungent vapors that wafted up. She was quick to give up, now being unable to see through tears and involuntary squints. Putting down the knife, Lenire gave a grunt as she rubbed her eyes with her burgundy long-sleeved thermal shirt. Eliana turned at Lenire's sounds and started laughing.

"It's okay, sweetie. I've got the rest," her mother spoke through chuckles and gave a peck on the side of Lenire's head. Lenire stepped aside and found her way to the sink to rinse her face with water. Quick chopping could be heard through Lenire's splashing, and by the time Lenire patted her face dry with a towel, Eliana had already begun scooping hearty portions of porridge into two large blue, ceramic bowls.

"I don't know how you can get cut onions so quickly without shedding a single tear," Lenire muttered with reddened eyes, noticing how Eliana's were seemingly untouched.

Eliana smiled sweetly while walking past Lenire to the refrigerator to grab a small bundle of bean sprouts. "It's just through years of cooking. You'll get there one day."

"Doubtful," Lenire replied. "I can't even cook for myself." She tossed a few pinches of scallions, cilantro, and the victorious onion onto each of the porridge bowls.

Eliana laughed in response while splitting the handful of sprouts into each bowl and reached for the lime wedges. "Could you grab the beans and pepper, please?"

Lenire obliged as her mother squeezed a lime wedge over each bowl. Turning around, she opened up a cupboard and reached up for a small glass jar of fermented soybeans and a plastic container of ground black pepper. Lenire reached over into a drawer for two spoons, and, while bumping the drawer closed with her hip, removed the lid of the soybeans and scooped out a small portion onto each bowl, giving her serving a little extra. Eliana took the pepper container and carefully sifted a good amount over each helping. Lenire grabbed both bowls and made her way over to the kotatsu in the neighboring room and sat down upon a cushion, snuggling her legs beneath the swirly red patterned blanket.

Lenire absently stirred the thick porridge before glancing up and slightly smiling. "Thanks for making dinner, Mom."

Eliana smiled warmly at her as she joined her daughter on the opposite side of the table. "Of course, sweetie. It's a big day tomorrow!"

A flash of apprehension flashed over her gold-flecked green eyes as she instantly looked back down to her bowl. "It is…" she finally replied with a soft voice.

Eliana raised an eyebrow at her sudden change in disposition and watched her for a moment before clearing her throat. "But you'll be in the same grade as the prince," she pointed out with a cheery voice. "That's an opportunity not everyone gets to take."

"Yeah," she lightly scoffed, "me and a thousand others."

"Is there something bothering you?" Eliana looked at her daughter with concern.

"I won't have Ava," Lenire admitted reluctantly, raising her gaze to her mother's.

Eliana softly smiled and reached over, placing her hand over Lenire's. "I know, sweetheart." She assured her, "But at least you both will be going into the same school together."

"Yeah," she shrugged, "I guess that's true."

"And she wasn't in any of your classes before," Eliana pointed out, her smile growing. "It's as if nothing has changed, right?"

Lenire paused and put down her spoon that had continually stirred her porridge while they conversed. "You're right," she realized before admitting, "I guess... it's just knowing she won't be in my grade."

"I understand." Eliana patted her daughter's hand once more before retracting her own and going back to eating her meal. "Everything will work out. I scarce believe being a grade ahead will get in the way of your friendships. Not if Avaleigh has anything to say about it."

Lenire slightly smirked, but didn't reply as she finally took her first bite of her food. She savored the taste and warmth before swallowing and eagerly continuing to eat. Her mother went back to eating as well as their conversation reached a lull.

After a few minutes had passed and they had gotten to the bottom of their bowls, Eliana cleaned her hands and lips with the cloth napkin before bringing up, "Are you taking the car tomorrow?

Lenire stopped mid-bite, putting her spoon back down in the bowl and clearing her throat. "...Yes."

Eliana slightly frowned as she let out a breath. "Okay," she conceded, "but no speeding. I can't stop you from driving, but the police will if they catch you."

"If," Lenire pointed out with a smirk.

Eliana sent her a look, but, seeing the smirk on her daughter's face, she couldn't keep herself from beginning to laugh and Lenire quickly joined in.

"I'll be careful," Lenire assured her once their laughter had passed. "I went earlier today and found a decent parking area a few blocks from school so no one will see that it's my car."

"Alright," Eliana nodded as she stood from her seat and picked up her empty bowl. "I trust you. You've got your father's rebellious streak in you." Lenire smiled up at her mother and stood as well, taking her bowl with her and following Eliana to the kitchen sink.

Grabbing the sponge and dish soap, Lenire ran the bowls under the water as Eliana flipped the faucet lever up. A sudden thought came to Lenire's mind, spurring her to ask, "Do you work tomorrow?"

Eliana simply continued staring at Lenire's hands, waiting for her to hand her some plateware to dry. "At eleven, yes."

"Could you bring home some tea?"

"I sure can!" Eliana smiled as she took both of the freshly-washed bowls and dried them with an olive towel. "'The Leville'?"

Lenire paused for a moment before running the soapy spoon under the water. "Yes, actually. How-"

Taking the spoon and quickly drying it, her mother bumped her with her hip playfully. "Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree," she winked. Eliana placed the utensil in the drawer and closed it. She filled a glass with water and Lenire followed suit, and both returned to the living room.

Giving Lenire a careful hug as to not spill either of their waters, Eliana hummed, "Good luck tomorrow, sweetie. I know you'll be just fine."

"Thank you, I might need it," she breathily laughed in return, taking in a whiff of her mother's rose-scented hair.

Eliana pulled back from the hug, leaving her hand on Lenire's shoulder. She gave a small smirk, adding, "Maybe with more luck, you'll befriend the prince!"

Lenire rolled her eyes slightly and pivoted on her heel to walk towards her room. "Sure, Mom," she called out without looking back and turned through her door.

Her mom stood there, smiling in Lenire's direction. She gave a little laugh and quipped further, "Or even get his number!"

The girl's laughed echoed out as she peeped her head out of her bedroom door. "Goodnight, Mom." She stood for a moment smiling at her mother as she lovingly smiled back at her daughter. "Love you."

Eliana's eyes squinted into a smile as she approached her daughter's room, only to stop and give her a peck on the forehead. "I love you, too, honey," she bubbled, and Lenire couldn't help but to feel the warm in her belly from her mother's endearment. "Goodnight."

_._._._._

It was about the fourth time Lenire's cell chimed and buzzed, signaling it was, yet again, time to wake up. Lenire dozily searched her sheets with an arm and found the buzzing culprit. Hitting the stop button, she blinked a few times, letting her eyes slowly focus on the phone's screen. "Six forty-five," she muttered. She stared a bit longer at her phone before sighing and rolling up to a sitting position. Groaning softly, she shuffled over to her closet, plucked out the single hanger that her school uniform hung on, and continued her shuffle towards the bathroom down the hall.

After staring at the shower wall for what seemed like only a few minutes, Lenire toweled herself off and wrapped her hair up in the now-damp towel. She looked over the uniform that hung together on the bathrobe hook before reaching up to retrieve the first piece: a gray pleated skirt. Lenire wistfully pulled up the skirt over her legs and carefully zipped up the back of it, feeling the fabric become snug on her slender hips. Throwing the cornflour-blue collared shirt over her shoulders, she took extra care in fastening each button in the appropriate hole. Next, the red satin ribbon; she tucked the mid-length under the shirt's collar and slid her hands to each end of the ribbon, tying a pristine bow that fell delicately above her chest. The makeup routine was fairly simple, consisting of foundation, blush, mascara, and eyeliner. Quick but cute was all that was needed, not having anyone to impress but herself. She drug the liquid eyeliner tip over each lash line, bringing each point to a swift wing that extended past the outer limit of her eyelashes, and to finish, a puff of pink blush over each round of her cheeks. Lenire stood up, staring at the long, burgundy tangle of hair that was her own. Shrugging, she grabbed a brush and swept it over her bangs while hand-crunching the rest of her hair—a lazy attempt for some volume. Before leaving the bathroom, Lenire carefully took the coat off the hanger and gripped each shirt cuff in her hand, pulling her arms through the jacket and, finally, fastened the polished gold buttons in place. Glancing into the mirror, she couldn't help but smile at her new uniform, her eyes lingering on the bow for a moment.

With Lenire now a bit more awake, her shuffle had turned into a sleepy stride as she made her way back into her room. She slipped on a pair of black calf-high socks and grabbed her school bag, tossing her phone into her coat pocket as she turned to leave the room. The sun filtered through the sheer-white curtains into the living room, causing a soft glow to bound up from the hardwood floors. Lenire set down her bag atop the kitchen island and turned one of the stove knobs. With a few clicks, the blue flame flickered to life beneath the porridge pot. She turned to the island once again, the nearest barstool suddenly looking strangely comfortable. With a sudden shake of her head, she quickly opted for light pacing until the pot came to a light boil. Lenire rotated the knob, allowing the blue flower to dissipate, while reaching for a white thermos in the cupboard hovering to the right. She watchfully ladled a few scoops into the thermos and, with the thermos still in hand, opened the fridge. She uncovered the tray containing the porridge toppings and tossed a few pinches of each green into her container, replacing the cover aptly and closing the refrigerator.

Thermos in hand, Lenire screwed on its top and grabbed her school bag and headed for the staircase past the kitchen, pausing only to slip on her black penny loafers. She bounded down the stairs and opened the door when she reached the bottom. Flipping the light switch, the fluorescent bulbs blinked on lazily, illuminating an older car with perfect ivory paint that gave off a faint blue and purple pearlescent gleam in the light's reflection. Its shining metal accents and round quad-headlights seemed to smile at Lenire as she walked up to unlock the driver door with the keys in hand. She opened the door and was met with a black cherry leather interior and slid herself into a firm, leather bucket seat. Lenire gently placed her bag in the passenger seat and the thermos into a cup holder positioned near the floor. She turned her attention to the black leather steering wheel—a prized possession that she and her dad had picked up from a small junkyard near the west wall of the Crown City. Beyond that, a black and white bandana was neatly tied around the steering wheel hub extension, and a tasteful display of gauges in the dashboard. Looking up, she hit the garage door clicker and put the key in the ignition. With the first click, the gauges lit up, greeting Lenire with a small dazzle of lights and the fuel pump buzzed softly in the background. With the second click, Lenire expected the loving roar of the engine turning over, but her ears were met with a simple _click_. She stared at the key, her fingers pushing the key forward, and brought the key back to the first position. Trying again, she was met with another _click_ , this time seemingly taunting.

"No," Lenire muttered. "No, no, no." Again. _Click_. Again. _Click_. She leaned forward and rested her head against the steering wheel, instantly frustrated. "Of course this would happen on the first day of school," she groaned. With an exasperated sigh, she sat up, snatched the keys out of the ignition, grabbed her bag, and pushed herself out of the seat. Locking the car with a simple motion of closing its door, she walked to the garage's exterior and hit a numeral combination on a keypad, causing the garage door to shutter close. A scowl plain on her face, she started walking down the alley with a quickened pace and turned onto the sidewalk.

Lenire glanced at her watch, the hands pointing to half-past seven—she had made it to the high school within twenty minutes, still giving her plenty of time to spare. She stopped walking abruptly, taking a seat atop a brick ledge at the end of a row of sakura trees that lined the entry street to the school. Looking around with Avaleigh nowhere in sight, she let out a sigh and pulled out her phone, sending a quick text asking where she was. Within a few minutes, her phone lit up:

 _On my way!_

It wasn't all too typical of Avaleigh to run late, especially for an important day. She put her hands down, phone still clutched between them, and slightly tossed back her head. "I should have set her alarm for her before she left," she muttered to no one in particular. Sudden numerous cooing shrilled through the black branches, making Lenire snap her head up in the sound's direction. Not too far from Lenire's spot, a flock of girls dressed in the same uniform as her were huddled together under the bold, black letters that read "Crown City High School." A young man with raven-like hair sulked up the stairs towards the entrance, hands stuffed into his pant pockets. _Must be the prince_ , she thought to herself, observing from afar. Just as he neared the top of the stairs, a blonde ran up next to him. The prince looked over, and they exchanged a forearm bump. Lenire raised an eyebrow at the gesture before catching a familiar golden glimmer in her peripheral. Quickly popping herself up from the brick ledge, she trotted her way over to Avaleigh, who was just beginning to near the front gates of campus.

"There you are!" Lenire shouted just as she neared her friend.

_._._._._

Walking into her new classroom, she spotted a seat in the row second closest to the window. She plopped herself down, her mind immediately lost to the troubleshooting of what could be causing her Regalia to refuse turning over.

"Hey."

She crossed her arms and slipped back into her seat. The gauges lit up, so it couldn't have been a dead battery… Then, she remembered the missing thermos she had forgotten in the car. She quietly huffed and drew her fingers back through the top of her hair.

"Hellooo!"

Lenire came back to her present self and looked to where the voice had rang through to her. As she turned her gaze left, she was met with a pair of crystal-blue eyes staring at her own gold-flecked green ones. Her eyes scanned the blue eye's owner: a freckled blonde, sitting backwards in his chair next to her, gazing at her cheerily. Lenire continued to glower at him, waiting for a follow-up to his greeting. The face was a familiar one, yet she couldn't seem to put her finger on it.

A moment passed before a grin broke out across his face as he finally spoke, "I haven't seen you before. Are you new?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly. What sort of small talk was this? "Kind of. I moved up a grade," she replied cautiously. She looked to the boy sitting behind Mr. Sunshine, whom he was facing, and instantly recognized him as the Prince himself. A sudden shock caught Lenire by the throat and she turned her gaze to her desk nonchalantly, as to not give away her realization.

"Don't worry! This prince won't bite!" the blonde laughed. "Hard to believe you're in the same class as him, huh?" Lenire could feel heat rising in her cheeks; it seems she wasn't as smooth as she thought she was. She side-glanced at the two boys. Mr. Sunshine beamed as he reached over to poke the prince. "Seems you've got a fan!"

As Lenire straightened her back to prepare a slap on the blonde's arm for disrespecting royalty, Prince Noctis merely swatted his friend's arm away. "Shut up," he grumbled, leaning back into his chair and crossing his arms.

The chuckling blonde turned his attention back to Lenire, who simply gaped back in disbelief at such an informal exchange. "I'm Prompto Argentum! Nice to meet you!" he introduced, his smile never having lost its length.

Now facing the boys and still somewhat uncertain, her eyes flicked between him and Prince Noctis for a moment before she gave in. "Lenire Vesperis," she calmly acquainted with a small bow of her upper body.

Prompto gave a hearty laugh and the prince, as Lenire assumed was his, a small chuckle. She jerked her head up suddenly at their reactions, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "No need to be so formal, Lenire," the price spoke, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his desk. He gave her a small smile, his deep blue eyes gleaming with a sense of assurance. "It's nice to meet you. You can call me Noctis."

_._._._._

"Mr. Sunshine?" Ava snorted out. "Who's that supposed to be?"

Lenire had practically sped-walked to Avaleigh's homeroom the moment class let out to be sure that they could walk home together. She wasted no time telling her that she had made acquaintance with Prince Noctis, thanks to the bucket-of-sunshine named Prompto Argentum. They chatted about the two boys as they made their way out of Avaleigh's classroom and down the front stairs of the school.

Passing through the pointed, black campus gate, Lenire's senses livened up just as the two girls walked into the sunlight. She inhaled and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth on her skin. Her moment was quickly interrupted as she stumbled forward when an arm snaked around her shoulders, causing a yelp to escape her lips and the grip on her bag to loosen, nearly allowing it to slip free. Avaleigh whipped her head around as Lenire arched her head towards the source of the weight on her shoulders, mouth falling agape when she saw that it was none other than Mr. Sunshine himself.

"Hey, Leni!" Prompto exclaimed.

Lenire's heart jumped and she felt heat rising in her cheeks again, only this time she was unsure if it was the effects of the sun or not. She stood, irritatingly confused as the blonde babbled away about his immediate plans. Somehow, as he talked, her mind remained blank—a rare occurrence in of itself. Lenire was suddenly acutely aware of the warmth of his arm that had so cleverly snuck its way under her hair and rested upon her neck. As she took notice of her mind's rosey state and Prompto's nondirectional chatting, she felt herself becoming more agitated by the second, permitting her scowl deepen.

He looked down and excitedly held his attention on Lenire's despite her death glare. "So what do you think, Leni? Wanna come along?" His eyes suddenly directed his attention to Avaleigh, finally acknowledging her. "Your friend can come, too!" he enthusiastically extended his invitation as he returned his gaze to give Lenire a soft smile.

She stiffly yet gently removed his arm from her shoulder, muttering, "I think I'll pass." Prompto stepped out in front of her, allowing their eyes to meet. A sinking feeling weighed down Lenire's heart as he stared at her through the blonde hair that fell around his face, with what seemed like a saddened expression.

Suddenly, he perked up as he outwardly realized that there would be plenty of other times to invite the two girls again. He whipped his head around to see Noctis ahead of the group. Turning back for a brief moment, Prompto took a step behind him as he waved. "See you tomorrow then, Leni!" He turned on his heel and jogged up to the prince as they now approached a gleaming black car.

"Could you have been any more awkward?" Avaleigh blurted out, allowing herself to howl in laughter. Her head hooked down as she held her stomach as if it were to fall out from the outburst.

Lenire's head snapped up towards her friend while straightening out her ruffled clothes. "Me?" she gawked. Attempting to cover up her betraying feelings, she directed the attention to Prompto's mannerisms. "Who in their right mind thinks it's fine to just wrap their arm around someone they barely know? I mean, really…"

Avaleigh finally straightened her posture back and threw her head back into the sunlight with a final laugh. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she smired, "I don't know, _Leni_."

A corner of Lenire's mouth curled upwards ever so slightly at the nickname. Looking ahead at the black car, Noctis had turned to Prompto upon hearing his footsteps, ruffling his friend's blonde hair with his hand. As a proper chauffeur opened the car door for them, Lenire turned back to Avaleigh.

"Anyways," she began, "my mom is making basilisk ginger tonight. I don't know if you've ever had it, but it's one of my favorites… Well, anything with ginger really. But before that, I was thinking we can just relax or play a videogame." When Avaleigh continued to stare forward, hardly batting a lash at Lenire's suggestion, she waved a hand in front of her face. "Earth to Ava?" she drummed out.

"H-huh?" Avaleigh snapped her head to Lenire. "Did you say something?"

Planting her hands on her hips, she briefed her, "I had been talking about what we should do tonight, but then I looked over and you were lost in dreamland again."

Ava blinked a few times before she softly laughed. "Sorry about that. I just got distracted."

Lenire turned her attention to that of Avaleigh's, who had not taken her eyes off of the prince's coach. As it drove off, Avaleigh asked, "Do you know who that guy is?

Lenire raised a brow. "Which guy?"

"Um, no one, forget I said anything." Shaking her head, she stepped forward, Lenire following suit, and the girls began their trek to the Vesperis apartment.

_._._._._

Lenire had met Avaleigh when they were only just five years of age at a royal ball. Nemoris had picked out a frilly, pale yellow dress, much to Lenire's distaste. She had sat in the back of the once-new Regalia, her face evident of recently subsided temper tantrum. From the passenger seat, Eliana craned her neck back to look at her fussy daughter with a laugh escaping her lips; she reached her hand out behind her and gently placed it on one of Lenire's sparkly black shoes. "You'll be fine, sweetheart. You look like you are made for this party!" she smiled warmly. Turning to her husband, she smirked, "You should know that she hates these dresses."

With his eyes on the road, Nemoris bellowed a warming laugh. "And you should know that nothing is cuter than a daughter who matches her mother!" he contested, placing a large hand on the pale yellow fabric that draped over Eliana's thigh.

Atop the Caelum tower, the small family ascended the staircase leading to yet another deck of the royal party. It was the earliest ball that Lenire could recall from her memory, although she had been to a few before—an annual festivity that was held to bring together the men, women, and their families of both the Crownsguard and Kingsglaive alike to celebrate their undying efforts of fulfilling their service to King Regis, whom was even present himself.

Reaching the final step shortly before her parents, Lenire gazed towards the massive aquatic display that towered nearby. With a huff, she tugged at her father's pant leg, pointing at the tank. Nemoris looked down and, when met with Lenire's begging eyes, let out a gruff laugh. "Go on ahead, Lenire. I need to greet the King first! We'll be over there in just a moment." He laid his hand on her bright red hair before she pit-patted away towards the display. Stopping just before the base of the tank, Lenire gazed up in wonderment as massive creatures swam by gallantly. It wasn't a minute more before she felt a pair of eyes on her. She spun quickly, coming face-to-face with another girl, bright eyed and freckle-dusted.

"Hi," she peeped. "I like your dress. Want to be friends?" She stuck out her freckled arm towards the small, statue-like Lenire. Her wild golden curls and gray pouf dress glowed the faintest blue in the light of the aquatic fish tank. Lenire stared, unsmiling.

After a few moments' passing, Lenire finally shook the girl's hand. "Okay," she agreed, her stare unchanging.

The girls ran around together through the night, bumping into countless pillars of adult legs and dresses. Eventually the two came to a brief pause behind the fish tank, huffing with their arms on their knees, regaining whatever air they lost from their tiny lungs. "Want to trade dresses?" the girl proposed, looking up at Lenire whose scowl had immediately turned into an outright grin.

As the two children emerged into the fabric pillar forest yet again, the freckled girl looked up towards an approaching adult. She skipped ahead with an apparent grin and jumped to a stop before the man's feet, spinning ever-so-happily in her new yellow dress.

"Avaleigh!" the man smiled down in return before stooping to meet with the girls' eye-levels. His kind, green eyes turned his direction to Lenire's. "Oh, we met a friend, haven't we, Avaberry?"

Avaleigh rocked on her heels, grinning. "I sure did! This is Lenire! We're best friends!" Lenire's eyes widened a bit, feeling an unfamiliar warmth—she couldn't help but grin along with her new friend.

Since then, Avaleigh's cheery demeanor remained as a constant, stable ground throughout their friendship as they navigated their way through their young lives together, even through Nemoris's death just a few years prior. However, as Lenire watched Avaleigh from the balcony, she couldn't help but to feel a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was amiss. Avaleigh's grins were slightly less lived as of late, and she had begun to wear long-sleeve shirts more often, even in warm weather.

The wild curls that had escaped from Ava's bun bounced as she spun to walk backward to wave goodbye, to which Lenire smiled and gave a short wave in return. Continuing to stare in Avaleigh's direction even after she had disappeared from sight, she let her mind wander through possible scenarios in which could change her friend's mannerisms. The patio door slid open quietly as Eliana appeared with an etched black iron kettle and two matching cups, allowing Lenire to return to her senses as she turned to smile at her mother.

Setting one of the palm-sized teacups down on the teawood balcony table, Eliana gently titled the kettle over, and the scent of roses instantly soothed Lenire's mind as she watched the pale liquid fill her teacup. Pouring tea into her own cup, Eliana spoke up. "So," she drummed out, "give me the details."

Lenire tossed her head back slightly, making her mother let out a chuckle. "Well, I made a friend," she began explaining.

"Oh, my gosh. It must be the end of the world," Eliana jibed in return.

"Two friends."

Her eyes widened as set down her cup. "This is serious!" Eliana continued her jest. "Well, who are they? Tell me."

Lenire looked slowly between her cup and her very intrigued mother. "Let's just say that I think your luck stowed itself away in my bag today."

Eliana looked at her in confusion before connecting the dots. Smacking her open palm on the table, she gasped, "No! You're kidding! The prince?"

When Lenire simply replied with a smirk, Eliana sat in her chair laughing. "How in the world did that happen?"

"It was thanks to the other friend," Lenire explained. "I sat in the first chair I saw and this guy sitting next to me asked if I was new. I looked over and saw Prince Noctis right behind him. He even told me to address him as just Noctis—no 'Prince' needed."

"Wow," Eliana leaned back in her seat, "friends with the prince." She laughed again, nearly in disbelief. "How wonderful is that. And what of this other friend? Don't tell me he's a prince, too."

Giggling softly, Lenire answered, "No, Mom. He's the prince's best friend as far as I can tell. He's blonde with all these freckles—named Prompto. He was way too energetic for the morning; even Noctis was annoyed with it."

"What a ray of sunshine," Eliana joked, as she was also not a fan of the morning hours.

"That's what I thought!" Lenire nearly choked on her tea in laugher.

"Did you get either of their numbers?" Eliana leaned forward suddenly with a serious expression written on her face.

"Nope," Lenire chortled.

"Ah, shoot," she said, snapping her fingers jokingly. "I'll have to wish you more luck then, won't I?"

As their conversation continued into the evening, they came to a letup as the sunset slowly grabbed at their attention with its magnificent ribbons of golden-orange collided with the soft shimmers of the Wall, the sudden glows of blue opaque waves obscured the brilliant clouds that floated above the kingdom they called home.

Lenire's mood dimmed as the sun fell over Insomnia's border, and her mind became clouded yet again. Even when it came time to retire to bed, her suspicions remained as heavy as her head on her pillow.

Staring blankly at her bedroom wall, Lenire perked up slightly as a few quick raps sounded hollowly in the living room. _The door?_ she thought, sitting up. The silence rang in her ears again for a few moments before another ripple of door knocks came through. Confused, Lenire threw her feet over her bed, landing in her pink slippers, and shuffled towards her bedroom door. Her hand froze on the knob as she heard the front door open.

"Ava?" Her mother had beaten her to the punch, and Lenire immediately opened her door and made her way to the front of the house to join Eliana.

As she reached the living room, Lenire saw her mother standing in front of the open door with a confused expression. Walking up behind the door, Lenire opened it further to reveal Avaleigh, eyes downcast. Looking next to her, she saw a tall, young man with a familiar face. He wore a neatly buttoned black vest over a white long-sleeve shirt, perfectly framing his cut yet slender figure. The cast of his green eyes peered through his black-rimmed glasses as they met Lenire's eyes and he gave a small smile before looking down at Avaleigh. Upon another glance, Lenire noticed a very overstuffed schoolbag slung over his shoulder. She looked back at Avaleigh and noted the white bandage wrapped around her right wrist. Lenire barely noticed when her own knuckles involuntarily tensed up.

"Who-"

Lenire was cut short as Avaleigh immediately spoke, "Is it okay if I stay here for a few nights?" When Avaleigh met her hollow gaze with Eliana, Lenire knew her suspicions were confirmed. Three small, white butterfly bandages adorned Ava's right cheek, with three prominent scratches barely visible.

When Eliana nodded and stepped out of the way, the man slid his thinly rimmed glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose with his forefinger before placing a hand on the small of Ava's back, urging her forward. Avaleigh stepped into their apartment and slid off her shoes, the man mirroring her moves. Facing Eliana, he gave a slight bow. "Please forgive the inappropriate time of night. My name is Ignis Scientia. I drove Avaleigh here upon her instruction." He then turned towards Lenire. "And you must be Lenire. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Prince Noctis's driver."

"Oh," Eliana's eyes noticeably widened as she took a slight step backwards towards the kitchen, "I am going to make some tea for all of us while you both get settled. Lenire, dear, why don't you show them to the guest room?"

Ignis gave a startled cough before he spoke, "Avaleigh will only be staying here. I mustn't intrude for too long. The prince is awaiting his dinner."

Though normally Avaleigh would have had a similar or flustered reaction, her eyes remained fixated on the floor, especially in avoiding Lenire's attention. She was still even as Lenire had begun to take a few steps towards the hallway, only moving when Ignis placed his palm on her elbow gently, guiding her as if she were a hollow shell.

Lenire passed her bedroom, then the bathroom, and came to the end of the short hall. She turned the brushed brass knob of the white door and pushed it open, motioning for Ignis and Ava to enter. "I'll be back with some tea, okay?" she said to Avaleigh, who simply sat on the large bed, folding her hands numbly in her lap.

When Ignis nodded in return, Lenire's brows deepened in frustration that her own friend refused to answer her, let alone make eye contact. Lenire let out an irritated breath and she spun on her heel and lightly trudged towards the kitchen, where Eliana was picking out a tea for the party.

In hearing her daughter's soft padding, Eliana spoke without turning her head."Is everything okay?" she asked in a soft voice, worry plain in her words. She settled for the raspberry herbal tea named "Velvet Dreams."

"I think so," Lenire sighed. "You should head back to bed. I'll see what happened." She watched her mother pack the loose-leaf tea into a mesh fitting and drop it into the familiar iron kettle. She scanned her mother's deep brown eyes as she focused on the tea and noticed a certain sadness. Approaching Eliana, Lenire leaned her head on her shoulder and shut her eyes. "She'll be okay. After all, she's got us, right?" she played lightly, looking up to see her reaction.

A smile teased Eliana's lips. "You're absolutely correct," she replied, turning to face Lenire. The two turned as they hear footsteps coming down the hall.

Ignis approached the duo and stopped just short of the kitchen bar. "I'll be taking my leave now," he spoke. Giving a slight bow to the two of them, he continued, "It was a pleasure meeting the both of you. I know Avaleigh is in good hands." He came back to a tall stand, glasses giving a small glint of the moonlight that shone through the window.

Eliana smiled fully at his gesture and rounded the kitchen island to take one of his hands in hers. "Don't hesitate to come by for tea. Thank you kindly for helping our Ava," she offered. Smiling, Ignis opened his mouth to say something when worry hit Eliana in the face again. "Oh, my gosh. Our apologies for keeping Prince Noctis from his dinner!" she spoke as she led him to the door hurriedly.

"I'm sure I'll see you again soon Ignis," Lenire laughed as she watched her mother shoo him out, giving small bows along the way.

Pressing her back against the closed door, Eliana let out a breath. "I think I might pop if the prince himself ever shows up. He just seems to be getting closer and closer already," she seemingly joked. She scuttled over to Lenire and embraced her quickly. "Goodnight, sweetpea," she whispered. "I'll see you tomorrow after school."

"Thank you, Mom. I love you," Lenire smiled slightly, remembering that she may have a long night ahead of her.

Eliana cupped her daughter's cheek for a moment before replying. "I love you, too, honey." And with that, she retired back into her bedroom and lightly shut the door.

Now facing the kitchen counter, Lenire's smile faded as she stared at the black kettle and two small cups. She gracefully picked them up with the rims pinched between her thumb and forefinger and swept the kettle up by its dainty silver handle and strode into the guest room.

Lenire found Avaleigh in the same spot where she left her on the bed, school bag lay next to her with the contents strewn across the olive green comforter. The only hint that this could have been Avaleigh's doing was gripped in between her hands: a photo of her and her father Zoll. Lenire softly glowered upon seeing Ava's forlorn gaze upon the framed picture, then moved to place the kettle and teacups upon the nightstand. With the silence remaining heavy upon them, Lenire quietly poured the raspberry tea into both of the cups.

Avaleigh did not hesitate to wrap the cup her hands when Lenire handed it to her. With a cup in her own hand, Lenire pushed aside the clothes among other objects from Ava's bag with her other hand and sat gently next to her friend. She stared into the cup's pale red tea for a moment, and breathed out finally. "So," she began softly, "wanna talk about it?"

Ava's hands tightened around the teacup as she stared down at it with a forlorn look. "I…" she began to speak in a quiet weak voice. "I-I don't even know where to start…"

Lenire looked over at Avaleigh, who still refused to exchange glances. She felt the frustration escape as she studied Ava's scratches that were engraved onto her right cheekbone. "Was it on the way home?" she asked.

She quickly shook her head, her curls bouncing with her movements. Taking a deep breath, she brought her gaze up to Lenire's, tears glazing over her eyes. "N-no," she admitted, "It…" she licked her lips and averted her gaze with a frown. "It was my… mom. It happened right when I got back from your house." she roughly pushed back a few curls that had fallen in her face and continued with a small sniffle. "She-she was having an affair…" as the words left her mouth, her voice broke and she brought her gaze back down to her tea, biting her lip.

Lenire shot to the door, swiftly yet quietly shutting it, afraid that Eliana may hear. "Oh my gods," she spoke, hand still on the knob. She was trying to digest this new information—this didn't make sense to her. "...W-why?" Lenire asked softly. Avaleigh's parents had one of the happiest relationships that Lenire had ever known. However, now that she thought of it, she hadn't seen Avaleigh's mom as often as she used to for nearly a year, and Avaleigh came over to Lenire's apartment much more lately.

"I-I don't know," she replied with a shaking voice. "I just…" she took in a short sharp breath, "I came inside and found them… on the couch. A-and when I called out to my mom, the guy—Jameson, I think my mom called him—he just ran out of the house," she pushed away a stray tear with the back of her hand, trying to keep her emotions under control.

A knot began to form in Lenire's stomach as her jaw tensed. _Jameson._ Her vision went red and she shut her eyes, trying to keep her breathing even. "How could this happen?" she spoke through clenched teeth.

She was silent for a moment, as if trying to figure out the answer herself. "I don't know…" she answered quietly. "This past year… since Dad's been gone at the Citadel, Mom's changed… you wouldn't recognize her anymore." she sniffled and pushed away another stray tear, keeping her eyes fixated on the steaming teacup in her lap. "She drinks every night and it's only gotten worse… but I never imagined-" her voice cut off as it broke once again and she shook her head. "What am I going to tell Dad?"

Lenire calmly walked back to the bed to reclaim her seat. She rested an elbow atop her knee and brought her forehead to her hand. "You don't. Not yet, anyways," she spoke, her breath at an abate pace now. "I wouldn't doubt he would take action and come home." A moment passed as Lenire took another breath, feeling the knot tighten as she tried to form the words in her head. "I need to know what happened to _you_." As the words left her mouth, she tilted her head so that her attention focused on Ava's unnerved expression. Lenire's eyes felt piercing as they narrowed, but Avaleigh knew they weren't directed at her.

A moment passed and Avaleigh remained silent, lightly chewing on her bottom lip as her eyes seemed faded away in thought. Taking in a deep breath, she tightly shut her eyes and began to confess. "...When the man found out I was there and stormed out of the house, I...I-I guess I was in the way of the door. I stood there in complete shock a-and he grabbed me and shoved me to the ground… I just fell over, bringing one of our stools down with me," she lifted her right wrist to more clearly show the white bandage Lenire had noted earlier, "and this happened…"

Again, Lenire felt her heart fracture and she braced herself for more, patiently awaiting for Avaleigh to continue as she took a moment to gather her words.

Avaleigh licked her lips and swallowed hard. "T-then, after the man was gone my mom-" her voice cracked, but clearing her throat she finished, "she… slapped me-"

Anger gripped at Lenire, suddenly clutching it's gnarled hand around her throat. _Slapped her?!_ She suddenly found her sight being clouded in a furious red fog, only able to hear bits and pieces of Ava's voice. _Why is this happening?_ she thought to herself as it seemed to echo off the walls of her skull. Lenire was always able to control her emotions, even if something had threatened to set her off. However, these occurrences were new to her as was the unbearable pulsing of adrenaline smashing through her veins. The image of Avaleigh's mother was the only target her mind zeroed in on as Lenire struggled to break through the fog. Finally, a patch of clarity drifted through.

"-that's when Ignis found me."

Lenire opened her eyes just in time to see a tiny smile appear on Avaleigh's face.

"I-I'm sorry. Where?" Lenire managed to mutter as she still struggled to wade out of her mind's clouded state.

Seemingly unphased by Lenire's sudden mental absence, Avaleigh simply responded, "That park between our houses; I went there after I ran out of the house. He just happened to be driving by and he heard me crying, I guess—that's what he told me anyways." Pushing a loose curl behind her ear, she recalled, "When he saw me, he pulled out this first aid box that he just happened to be carrying in his car." Her smile grew as she sat up straighter and finally brought her gaze up to Lenire.

Recent tears were still apparent on her cheeks, but, much to Lenire's relief, her eyes had gained a new glow. Lenire examined her friend's sudden change in disposition. Just from mentioning this stranger's name, Lenire saw that the tension in Avaleigh's body had seemingly vaporized and that the familiar pep was back in her voice. As she continued to talk of Ignis's heartfelt actions, Lenire felt her once racing pulse regulate back to normal.

"He sat next to me on the bench I was at," Ava continued, "and he cleaned up all my cuts and bandaged me up as if he was some sort of professional. Then he offered to drive me to your place, but…" her voice trailed off as she rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. "But-uh, I realized I forgot my school bag at home. And, he actually offered to go get it for me." She shook her head and put her hand on her forehead as she lightly laughed, "I couldn't believe I actually let him do it, but I didn't really know what else to do.

"So he drove me back home and he literally went inside and got everything—I still don't know what he said to my mom or what she thought of a strange guy barging in to get my stuff." She chuckled at the thought and let out a sigh, "But, yeah… that's everything that happened." Avaleigh stared somewhat dreamily past Lenire for a moment before suddenly recalling, "Oh, right! And when we got here," she smiled as a rose tint appeared on her cheeks, "he put his number in my phone."

"He did?" Lenire asked, her eyes slightly widening. When Avaleigh nodded, she leaned back on the bed. "Okay… wow. So you've really had a crazy night."

Avaleigh let out a short scoff, "Yeah, something like that."

Their conversation fell silent as they both became lost in thought over what they had just discussed. Lenire regained her posture and stared at the floor with her arms crossed and suddenly felt her eyes becoming heavy. Her impromptu yawn reminded Lenire of the exhaustion she had just experienced, causing the corners of her mouth to turn down slightly.

"You should head to bed," Avaleigh told her, sending her a small smile as she held out her half-drunk teacup.

"Are you sure?" Lenire asked as she took the teacup from her and stood. "I can stay up with you if you need to talk more."

Avaleigh thought about it for a moment, looking back down at the framed picture of her and her dad before nodding, "Yeah, I know I'm safe now and… I'm pretty tired, too." She chuckled and looked back up at her friend. "Thank you, for listening to me."

Lenire sent her a small smile in return. "Of course. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that." Feeling the silence between them, Lenire cleared her throat and began walking towards the door. "I'll let you get some rest," she told her as she opened the bedroom door and turned to Ava one last time. "Goodnight, Avaleigh."

Her friend smiled up at her and replied softly, "Goodnight, Lenire."

 _ **** Author's note: Hi! Hello! I've been so so so excited to finally post my first. ever. chapter! It's been an amazing couple of months creating, planning, and writing these stories, and, during the process of writing this, I have become all the more excited for the journey that lies ahead of Lenire. In that being said, I truly hope that you will continue with Lenire and I as we traverse the crazy road we are embarking on! (Just a quick note, Lenire's name is pronounced as "Len-ee-ruh").**_

 _ **In addition to this excitement, this is sister fanfic to "Avaleigh Sanctum," written by the most lovely CurryFury13, a parallel story that follows Lenire's best friend Avaleigh and her events and side of the story of Final Fantasy XV. Both of these fanfics intersect at times, but will be separated as each girl lives her life in the world of Eos. While you can get a great experience through Lenire's eyes, I would highly recommend following Avaleigh's adventure as well! As CurryFury13 explained, our stories are akin to Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep where one plays through all three characters… Each character has their own story and sometimes ends up visiting familiar locations, but with different portrayals of events or a different event altogether!**_

 _ **Thank you so much for reading, and, until next time~!****_


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